Industry Insights Articles Archives - The Equity Engineering Group, Inc.

Local PWHT and Weld Residual Stress: A Case Study in Welding and PWHT Simulation

Jun 26, 2026

A local PWHT procedure that fully complies with WRC 452 does not guarantee the residual stress relief assumed in fitness-for-service assessments, and for equipment susceptible to environmental cracking, that gap can be the difference between a successful repair and a repeat failure. This case study presents a coupled welding and PWHT finite element simulation of a fractionator head repair, comparing local PWHT outcomes against furnace treatment and identifying ramp rate as the most powerful lever for improving stress relief.

New Guidance for the Design of Fillet-Welded Patches

Jun 26, 2026

The current ASME PCC-2 Article 212 guidance for fillet-welded patch repairs is known to be conservative, frequently driving patch plate thicknesses past the 1.5-inch threshold that triggers mandatory PWHT. This article presents Equity Engineering’s proposed T-min methodology, an FEA-validated alternative that eliminates unnecessary thickness penalties and reduces PWHT risk while remaining technically rigorous and grounded in ASME design-by-analysis principles.

Engineering 101: Run, Repair, or Replace? A Guide to Pressure Equipment Repair

Jun 26, 2026

Not every inspection finding requires physical repair, and not every repair that looks straightforward actually is. This article in our Engineering 101 series outlines the full pressure equipment repair process, from characterizing damage and identifying the governing codes to selecting the right method and closing out the work with proper documentation.

When Pressure Builds: The Science and Engineering of Explosion Venting

May 22, 2026

Combustible dust explosions are well-documented, well-studied, and entirely preventable, and yet they continue to claim lives, as tragically demonstrated by the July 2025 explosion at a Nebraska biofuels facility. This article introduces the engineering fundamentals of explosion venting, walking through the key parameters, calculations, and judgment calls required to design a compliant and effective deflagration vent per NFPA 68.

Process Design Practices: Closing the Knowledge Gap

May 22, 2026

Fragmented in-house knowledge and overreliance on third-party expertise are quietly eroding process design capability across the industry. Equity’s Process Design Practices (PDPs) provide a structured, customizable framework for capturing and transferring process design knowledge, supporting everything from equipment sizing and fluid handling to safety systems and basic engineering reviews.

Engineering 101: Codes and Standards: A Working Introduction

May 22, 2026

Codes and standards are referenced constantly in process facilities, but early-career engineers often lack a clear framework for understanding what they are, how they relate to each other, and why they carry real legal and safety consequences. This article in our Engineering 101 series provides a practical introduction to the codes and standards landscape, covering construction codes, in-service codes, FFS standards, and RAGAGEP, with field examples and common pitfalls to help new engineers build a working foundation, whatever their role.

The TRCA and the Damage Mechanism Advantage

Apr 22, 2026

When a heat exchanger tube ruptures, the consequences can extend far beyond overpressure, as uncontrolled mixing of incompatible fluids can create serious safety, environmental, and operational risks that demand rigorous engineering assessment. This article examines the tube rupture credibility assessment (TRCA) and the critical role that damage mechanism review plays in determining whether a full-bore tube rupture is credible, and what that conclusion means for relief system design and inspection planning.

The CUI Program Infrastructure Problem

Apr 22, 2026

Corrosion under insulation is one of the most persistent sources of unplanned downtime and process leaks in operating facilities, yet most CUI programs are structurally set up to miss it. This article makes the case that CUI leaks are not a technology problem but a funding and governance problem, and explores what a properly structured CUI inspection program actually looks like.

Engineering 101: Metallurgy, How Equipment Gets Damaged

Apr 22, 2026

Metals don’t simply wear out; rather, they fail through specific, recognizable damage mechanisms, and understanding the difference is one of the most practical foundations an early-career engineer can build. This installment of our Engineering 101 series introduces the metallurgy fundamentals every new engineer should know, from core material properties to corrosion, fatigue, creep, and embrittlement, with a real-world case study showing how damage mechanism reviews (DMRs) translate directly into safer, more reliable operations.

Navigating New Seismic Rules for Storage Tanks: A Technical Guide to Washington’s WAC 173-180

Mar 26, 2026

Washington State’s WAC 173-180 regulation is setting a new bar for seismic integrity of existing aboveground storage tanks, with a compliance deadline of July 2033 and analysis requirements that treat existing assets as new builds. This article breaks down what owner-operators need to know technically and makes the case for acting well before the deadline.

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